Lift me up
by Loz21
Summary: Set during 2x13 and onwards. Tomchel!
1. Chapter 1

After all the months of stress and panic it was finally over. Well, Of course there was still so much work to be done. Rachel was all ready and packed to head of first thing in the morning to begin the distribution of the cure but for tonight she was carefree, relaxed and the stress that seemed to have been building on her shoulders subsided even if just for one night.

Rachel walked down the hall towards her hotel room feeling like a giddy schoolgirl. She recalled all the moments Chandler and herself had shared the past 6 months. Most of the time they were butting heads, both equally as stubborn and passionate about there mission. Though there had been strain on there relationship especially after the incident with Niels, there was an undeniable chemistry between the two of them, something just below the surface.

The two of them had been so busy with the cure and fighting the immunes that there wasn't really time for anything else, and for goodness sake he is a navy man, hell-bent on rules. Rachel knew there was an unspoken attraction there, of course he would never have started anything on the ship but after that encounter outside his hotel room she was beginning to think things might progress somewhere. Somewhere she never thought they would.

Rachel knew Chandler was still dealing with the loss of his wife, he wouldn't show anyone how he felt or dare let that strong, stoic mask fall because she assumed he wanted to remain strong for his crew who had also lost so much. She approached his room to deliver the papers for him to give to the president and just happened to catch him at the door, when he complimented her on her dress she automatically felt the heat rush to her cheeks. She was happy to see him one last time before she left in the morning.

As she headed down the hall she noticed a voice call out to her and a strange man looking a little worse for wear slowly approaching. She knew she was in trouble the moment she looked at him. He wanted the cure but surely he already inhaled it earlier that afternoon or even just walking into the hotel. Why was he waiting for her? She had a bad feeling that he wanted something other than the cure. As he took a step forward she signaled for him to stop where he was, she did not want him any closer. She stood before this man in silent panic, she didn't know what to do, she had no training in how to defend herself, she had no gun, no knife. She considered running back down the hall screaming for some kind of help. Before she had the chance to act he pulled out the gun.

"Sic semper tyrannis"


	2. Chapter 2

The bullet knocked me back with extreme force and as my knees collapsed I slid down the wall to the ground. I feel the shock and blood pumping through my body and I hear the fast retreating steps of my attacker before I fully collapse to the ground.

The pain seared through my shoulder, throbbing painfully as I attempt to lift my left arm to feel for the wound.

I can feel myself fading and feel the sticky substance of blood between my fingers, this wasn't good.

If someone didn't come soon then I was as good as dead.

I can barley lift my head from the ground and can feel the blood begin to pool underneath my body. It was a through and through shot which was a good thing, It could have been much worse if the bullet had lodged itself in my body. My vision was dark around the edges and the noise of celebration from the party downstairs felt like it was drifting further and further away.

Funny isn't it? the moment I'm without guards this happens. Chandler would get a kick out of this just proving that he was right to keep me under guard.

The blood loss was really starting to take effect when I hear a voice, it feels so far away, so urgent.

I softly smile as I realize he has come, I close my eyes comforted by the fact that he is here. Everything is fading away and the noise slowly starts to sound like a big buzzing that surrounds my whole body until it finally consumes me.

...

Tom glanced down the hall watching as Rachel disappeared behind the corner. After months of seeing her dressed in her usual attire of jeans and loose fitting tops it was a nice surprise to see her in that dress, she looked gorgeous.

She had come to deliver research papers for the president and he assumed she didn't expect to run into him at the same time. There was a part of him that didn't want to see her leave in the morning, but he knew there was work to be done and that distributing the cure was there top priority.

All he can hope for is that she remains safe while on her journey. he was so used to being able to protect her on the ship, when she was on the ship he knew there was no safer place on this earth that she could be. he didn't know why he felt so protective over her, even with all there arguments and disagreements, he truly cared for her. he felt guilty feeling this way about another woman, especially after Darien.

Tom walked into his hotel room, more then ready to hit the sack. He knew he would regret not taking a shower in the morning so he decided to have a quick one now, maybe he could catch an extra 10 minutes of sleep. He removed his jacket and placed it on the back of the armchair on his way to the bathroom. He turned the hot water faucet on and waited to adjust the temperature to just how he liked it. He slowly felt the stress of the day leave his body.

He could still hear the majority of his crew downstairs celebrating, which they completely deserved. They were some of the most hardworking men and women he had the pleasure of serving with.

Tom stepped out of the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed to remove his shoes, as he reached down he heard a gunshot fired, he immediately sat up and stepped towards the door, his navy instincts kicking in. He waited for another shot but couldn't hear a thing. Tom grabbed his gun from the desk and swiftly opened the door ready to fire. He scanned the area around him, not a soul in sight, he could have sworn it was a gun that he heard.

He moved down the hall awaiting anyone who would round the corner, as he got closer and closer a sense of dread washed over him, something was not right.

This was the same direction Rachel had taken after there little encounter, his mind feared for the worst and he picked up his pace. As he rounded the corner with his gun still drawn he stared straight ahead and the sight that lay before him made his blood turn cold.


	3. Chapter 3

As Tom race down the hall to get to Rachel he prayed that she wasn't gone. He fell to his knees beside her to assess the damage, there was a single gunshot wound on the lower side of her shoulder and there was blood seeping from the wound concealing itself in the black lace of her dress. He removed his shirt and pressed it onto her shoulder in the hopes of stopping the steady flow of blood. As he pressed the bunched up material to her shoulder Rachel gasped at the pain and opened her eyes in shock, she reached for his arm for something to hold on to. "Shhhhh, its ok, you're going to be ok" tom reassured her as he kept steady pressure on the wound. Rachel looked up at him, her brow sweaty with perspiration and her eyes full of pain "You...came" she slowly closed her eyes as the pain emanating from her shoulder consumed her.

Tom panicked as Rachel's eyes closed shut, thankfully he could see the steady rise and fall of her chest but the blood loss was sure to catch up with her. He had to move her and get help from downstairs or else she would slip away forever.

He discarded his shirt that was no longer white but completely covered in her blood and tucked his gun into the back of his pants. He looked down at Rachel to figure out how to carry her without causing too much pain. Tom slipped his arm under her knees and the other carefully under her back just below her wound. As his arm moved under her back he stopped short when his hand felt the warm sensation of blood that had puddled underneath her body, he quickly shook of the thought that he might have been to late and resumed his task. He pulled her towards his chest and raced down the hall towards the stairs with her cradled against him. She felt incredibly light and fragile in his arms which only made him pull her closer. Tom was almost running down the stairs to get to the rest of his crew, he needed Doc Rios and Milowsky straight away.

He heard his crew singing an old navy song below and assumed that's the reason nobody heard the gunshot. Tom came to an opening in the foyer and turned right towards the sounds of celebration. He burst through the entryway to the room and everyone's eyes turned towards him. He stood in front of his horrified colleagues holding a lifeless and bloody Rachel In his arms.

...

It only took a second before everyone in the room burst to action. Slattery and Tex cleared the table and Tom gently lowered her to rest so Doc Rios and Milowsky could do there job. He removed himself from her side so each doctor would have space to work but he didn't want to leave her completely, he moved to where her head lay and overlooked the doctors work. Tom didn't even need to order his crew to action, they automatically spread out to secure the perimeter and make sure the president was safe, they would find the coward who did this. "We need water, towels and a first aid kit! She's going to need surgery but we will do what we can here before we move her." Tex went in search of what they needed while Milowsky went to work on removing the lace dress from the wound, "Captain, Could you unzip the dress from the back?, Rios and I will pull her up", Tom nodded and as the doctors lifted her he grasped the zip at the back of her neck and slid it down her back, they lowered her back to the table and moved her dress down to reveal the gunshot wound on her right shoulder. Tex came rushing back into the room with his hands full of hotel room towels, bottled water and a first aid kit from the front desk, Milowsky covered Rachel's wound with water and cleared up the blood with a towel as it was blocking them from getting a good view of the damage. Slattery was on the phone urgently organizing transportation to the nearest and working hospital. Milowsky and Rios could perform the surgery, it was just a matter of getting there in time.

While they were working Rachel suddenly gasped and slightly opened her eyes, she was deathly pale with a sheen of sweat covering her face, Tom moved a strand of hair away from her forehead, "I'm here, I'm here, Don't you worry Doc, you're going to be ok."

...

I woke up in excruciating pain, my whole ride side was throbbing and it felt like it was on fire. I could hear distant voices but couldn't distinguish who they belonged to. I tried to sit up but winced as my side flared up, I instinctively brought my left hand to my shoulder. I feel people pushing me down and removing my hands from my body. I shrieked with pain as I feel more hands poking and prodding at my ribs, the haze that was clouding my mind and my vision was slowly clearing. I tried opening my eyes wider to get a grasp on my surroundings but my lids felt so heavy.

I was shot..I remembered that, I remember Tom coming and I felt him lifting me off the floor, I also remember thinking that this was it, that I wouldn't survive the night. I felt a pin prick in my arm and suddenly my awareness started slipping away, my vision blurred and became fuzzy. Rachel started panicking, she didn't want to go, not yet, it wasn't her time. Once again that night, darkness consumed her.

...

Tom tried to comfort Rachel and get her attention but there was no use, she was too far gone with the blood loss and trauma her body was going through. All he could do was watch as she started twisting and shrieking each time the doctors touched her. He could see her eyelids flutter open and closed like she was trying to wake up from an all consuming nightmare. He kept stroking her hair and applied a damp towel to her forehead.

When Rachel tried to sit up she shrieked with pain and clutched not only her shoulder but her right side. They gently pushed her back down and Rios peeled down the dress exposing her stomach and ribs while Tom grabbed one of the towels to cover her strapless black bra and protect her modesty. Rios began poking and prodding to determine whether any damage was done that they weren't aware of. "She likely has 3 fractured ribs, may have happened along with the impact of the bullet or maybe after she was shot? she might have fallen badly afterwards." Tom nodded and looked at Rachel's face that was still contorted in agony, "Can you do anything for her pain?" Milowsky reached into the first aid kit and grabbed a sedative so Rachel could rest, he poked her in the arm with the needle and the tense muscles in her body slowly relaxed until she was limp again.

Slattery approached Tom and told him they had transportation waiting on the roof. "ETA is 10 minutes to the nearest hospital, they have all the medical equipment and supplies you need." Tom nodded and turned back to Rachel, Rios and Milowsky gave approval for him to lift her and move towards the elevator. They had done all they could in stopping the blood and applying a temporary bandage, but what they really needed for Rachel was an operating room and a steady supply of A-Positive for the blood transfusions. Tom carried her as carefully as possible, the elevator ride to the roof felt as if it lasted for hours but in reality was only 20 seconds. When they got to the roof the helicopter was ready and waiting, Tom along with Slattery, Tex and the docs helped maneuver Rachel into the stretcher and in a space of 1 minute the were ready for takeoff.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been 2 hours since they wheeled her into the operating room and Tom was anxiously waiting outside. He paced back and forth in the small space to occupy his time, the thought of losing her kept playing on his mind. He had complete trust in Rios and Milowsky`s abilities and there was no doubt that they were doing everything they could do save her.

He heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Tex coming around the corner, he sat down and patted the space beside him, "C'mon Captain, fancy some Cheetos?" Tom looked over at Tex as he opened up a plastic bag and pulled out snacks and drinks, he hardly thought this was the time for a picnic but Tom felt like his energy was slipping and he wanted to be alert for when Rachel was out of surgery. He didn't know how tired his body was until he sunk down in the chair.

Tex handed him a pack of Cheetos and a coffee. They both sat in silence as they ate, neither really knowing what to say.

"She's going to get through this you know, she's a stubborn one." Tom didn't have the same outlook on the situation, he felt as if she was in there fighting for her life and he was doing absolutely nothing to help. His crew were on the hunt for her attacker and would not stop until he was found, but in the meantime there was nothing left to do but wait. Tex spoke up again, " I know how you feel about her, and I know how she feels about you. You're both too hard headed to admit it to yourselves or maybe you're just not ready yet but If you could only see the way you look at each other." Tex let out a little laugh. "It took me a while to realize what was going on but when she kept turning down my offers of a sweeping romance I got the idea that she wasn't buying what I was selling." Tom stared straight ahead at the swinging doors that led to the operating wing, he heard every word Tex said and he hated to admit it but he was right. Somehow Tex was always right. He cared deeply for this woman, and seeing her hurt was what forced him to see things clearer. "I say you should go for her Captain, go get the girl. Sometimes things like this need to happen for you to see it how it really is, she will get through this and you will be able to tell her how you really feel." Tex scrunched up his empty Cheetos packet and patted Tom on the back before heading back down the corridor to leave Tom to his own thoughts.

...

Another 2 hours passed and Tom had resumed his pacing up and down the waiting room, the coffee Tex brought him was wearing off and exhaustion was creeping back in. He was about to try get an update on the surgery but before he could Doc Milowsky walked through the double doors. In all of the waiting Tom had prepared himself for the worst, he couldn't lift his hopes for them to be crushed the moment he heard that she didn't make it. he didn't know if he would be able to get over that, First his wife and then Rachel. Tom waited with baited breath until Milowsky offered up a smile and gave Tom the good news, "She is going to be ok, the bullet hit some bone so we cleared the fragments and repaired the entrance and exit wounds, her ribs are strapped up and will heal in time, she will make a full recovery but it will be a long road." Tom took in everything Milowsky had just said and breathed a huge sigh of relief, "Thank you doctor, thank you for everything."

"Doc Rios is inside finishing up some things but as soon as we move Rachel to her room, you can go see her." Tom nodded and contacted Slattery to tell him the good news. "She's going to be ok, It was a long surgery but she made it through." there was silence at the other end of the line and Tom waited for a response. "We got him, we got the guy." Tom was caught off guard by Slattery`s news, "Who is he, what son of a bitch did this."

"It was one of the immunes, we killed him on the spot."

Tom would have loved to see the bastard face to face, to make him feel pain like Rachel had but only 10x worse. The immune must have gotten away and plotted to kill Rachel for there twisted cause. "Thanks Mike, tell everyone to go and get some rest, I'm going to stay at the hospital for now to make sure things are ok." He hung up right before Milowsky came back through the doors and waved Tom over to see Rachel.

He followed behind Milowsky, walking through the stark white halls of the hospital until they stopped outside her room, "She is still under sedation for the moment, we are not certain when she will wake up but her body needs time to heal, we will monitor her closely but for now its a waiting game." Milowsky opened the door for Tom and he stepped inside. Rios was filling in her chart and glanced up as Tom entered the room. "Thank you Rios, thank you for your work." Rios smiled and gave a curt nod before heading out of the room to give him some privacy.

Tom walked forward to stand beside her bed. She looked so weak and fragile, her small body was covered with blankets and the bandages covering her shoulder poked out from under her hospital gown. He decided to pull up the chair behind him and sit down, he was tired but he wanted to be here if her condition changed or if she woke up. Once he was comfortable he took her hand in his and squeezed it tight, maybe she would be able to feel that he was with her..that she was safe.


	5. Chapter 5

2 days later...

The only thing Rachel could feel was pain. Her shoulder and entire right side were aching and her head was pounding. She tried to swallow but her throat was dry and scratchy. She slowly opened her eyes but closed them shut as a harsh white light assaulted her vision. Everything came rushing back to her, the man in the hallway, the gunshot...Tom.

Rachel finally gained enough awareness to truly open her eyes and check out her surroundings, she had to blink a few times to get rid of the haziness edged around her vision. She gathered that she was in hospital and that she must have gone into surgery. Rachel felt a light weight resting in her hand and looked down to see a much larger one holding hers, she looked slightly further to the right and saw that it was Tom. Had he stayed by her side this whole time? He was fast asleep with his head rested on the bed, he didn't look comfortable sitting in that hospital chair so she thought it would be best to try and wake him and maybe she could get some pain medication. The minute she wiggled her hand he shot up in his chair looking more alert than ever, must be his Navy training.

Tom saw that she was indeed awake and stood up to lean over her "Hey, how are you feeling?" Rachel laughed to herself but stopped when the pain in her ribs flared up, she was probably in the most pain she had ever felt in her life. The last time she had been injured was that day in the artic with the Russians, she was grazed by a bullet and got some pretty nasty scrapes and bruises but compared to this, it was nothing. "My shoulder and my ribs are killing me." Tom walked towards the door to get a nurse for more medication, he then came back to her bedside and pulled up the chair to sit. "You've been down for 2 days, Milowsky and Rios performed the surgery which went well but you're going to need a lot of time to rest and recover." Rachel went to speak but found that nothing came out, her throat was so dry, "Can I...hmm..Water?" Tom nodded and filled a cup with cool water from the bedside table, she took the cup with her left hand since her right one had no intention of moving. Tom used a remote control to lift up the head of the bed so she could sit up and drink comfortably. The cool water was soothing and she instantly felt refreshed.

A nurse entered the room and smiled at the two of them, She checked Rachel's temperature and vital signs before increasing the dosage of medication already flowing through her system. It wasn't long before she felt relaxed and comfortable, all that remained was the dull ache residing in her shoulder. She turned her attention back to Tom and caught him staring into empty space, he was seemingly unaware that she was looking right at him. "Tom?" he snapped out of his trance and apologized. "What were you thinking about?" Tom took a second before responding, almost like he needed to be cautious of what he said. "The man that hurt you, he was one of the immunes. I'm so sorry Rachel, I should never have let this happen." She could see the pain he felt, it was written all over his face. "None of this is your fault. there was nothing that you or your men did wrong and I'm not going to sit back and watch you beat yourself up over it. I'm going to be fine and if it wasn't for you I wouldn't even be alive right now." Tom bowed his head as if everything that happened the past few days had finally caught up with him. "I thought I...we were going to loose you. It was touch and go there for a while." Rachel smiled as she remembered telling him the exact same thing when she was fixing him up after the oil rig explosion. "Tom, thank you." he nodded and offered her a grateful smile.

Rachel was beginning to feel the effects of the medication and her eyes began drifting shut. She wanted to keep talking to Tom but her body was telling her that it was time to rest, she quickly gave in to the exhaustion.

...

Tom relaxed back into the chair when he saw the medication taking effect on Rachel's body. He felt so relieved when he saw her awake. The past 2 days he had been so worried that maybe she wouldn't open her eyes. Maybe it was too much for her body to take, but thankfully she came through.

He watched as she shifted in the bed as if trying to find a more comfortable position. He assumed that it wouldn't be too comfortable sleeping with an exit wound on your back. After some slight movements she moved to lay on her good side facing away from him. Knowing that she would be out for a while, Tom decided to go check on things back at the hotel. He didn't want to leave her but he still had other responsibilities that needed to be seen to. As he opened the sliding door he glanced back at Rachel one more time before leaving.


	6. Chapter 6

1 week later...

Rachel didn't think it was actually possible to be this bored, but she was wrong. It had been a little more than a week since she was admitted to hospital, her injuries were still being a pain but that was only to be expected. The only time she was allowed out of bed was to shower or use the toilet. She insisted that she could easily walk a few feet to the bathroom to do her business herself, it was embarrassing enough that she needed a catheter the first few days she was here.

Tom had come to visit every day, sometimes for a an hour or even just for 20 minutes. A lot of the crew had come to see her as well, Whenever she had a new visitor they seemed to breath a sigh of relief when they saw her sitting up in bed. The president had commissioned Tom as the new chief of naval operations. It was a big job and Rachel was flattered that he found time to see her with his schedule, she insisted that he didn't need to be here everyday but he was hearing no word of it.

Her nurse entered the room with the daily dose of pain meds. She came around the same time everyday and it was beginning to become something Rachel looked forward to, mainly because of the pain meds that relieved the throbbing in her shoulder but also because of her nurse, Bridget. She was a lovely older woman who always stayed a little longer to chat. She personally thanked Rachel for creating the cure and would help with her daily tasks of showering and using the bathroom. Rachel was stubborn and she knew it, she kept reassuring Bridget that she could do things by herself now, but she was having none of it.

Bridget had just finished administering her medication when she sat down and began chatting,

"So, how are things going with you and the handsome navy man?"

Rachel chocked on the water she was swallowing before quickly wiping her mouth. "ahh what do you mean?'

"Honey, he's been coming around here everyday checkin in on you. You two must be pretty serious."

"No, umm we are NOT together." Rachel could feel her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I just assumed you were."

"No, Tom...Captain Chandler actually lost his wife from the virus only a few moths ago. trust me there is nothing happening."

"Alright, if you say so." Bridget glanced down at Rachel's chart with a smirk on her face.

"What is that face for?"

"If you could only see how worried he was when you first arrived, and how he looks at you now. That man cares for you...a lot."

Rachel knew there was something between the two of them, she remembered back to the encounter outside of his hotel room. How long would they tip toe around there feelings? She just didn't want to rush him, especially after Darien. He had 2 kids as well, she couldn't just waltz into there lives and expect to be able to replace there mother. She felt guilty about the whole situation, if only she had come up with the answers for the cure sooner, maybe Darien would still be here.

Bridget sensed Rachel's uneasiness, "Well, I will leave you to it sweetie, ill be back tomorrow, just call if you need anything."

Bridget walked out of the room to leave Rachel to her thoughts.

...

Tom walked through the entrance of the hospital, it was becoming a daily routine for him to come in and check on Rachel. Over the past week she had made small improvements and her recovery seemed to be going well. Amongst the craziness at work it was his favorite part of the day. There were still lives to save and a lot of work to be done across the country but so far thing were looking up. He rode the elevator to the 8th floor, said hello to the nurses at reception and headed to Rachel's room. Everyone was certainly getting to know him around here.

He opened the door to her room, surprised to see her seated on the edge of the bed. Rachel looked up at him and smiled, "Hi!" she looked like a kid who got caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar.

"Are you about to do what I think you're about to do?" he questioned Rachel.

"Look, I just wanted to stretch my legs, I cant just sit in this bed all day long its driving me nuts!"

Tom couldn't believe how cute this woman was when she got angry. She was so used to being in control and getting things done. But here she was, refined to her bed."You know you're not meant to get up without assistance, I don't want to hear about you falling and breaking something because you didn't listen to simple instructions."

"Oh please, don't be ridiculous. If it makes you any happier than I wont move an inch. I just feel so useless lying here doing nothing!"

Tom could see that Rachel was getting restless stuck in this room, but she needed to heal. As she began maneuvering herself back into bed he moved forward to help. With her bad shoulder and ribs she wasn't exactly having the easiest time shifting backwards. She huffed in frustration and stopped while she wasn't ahead.

"Ok, so maybe you're right, I'm in no shape to do anything, I mean look at me, I cant even get back to bed."

Tom had never seen Rachel like this, she looked so defeated and so fed up with the situation. He moved towards her, "May I?" Rachel nodded while keeping her gaze downcast. Tom moved closer and slipped his arms underneath her knees and her back, the last time he held her like this he was covered in her blood. He lifted her lightweight easily and placed her gently onto the mattress, he tucked her legs back under the blankets and readjusted her pillows beneath her shoulder so she was comfortable.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Now, how are you feeling?" Tom took a seat beside her just like he had everyday.

She took a moment before answering. "Well, apart from being stuck in this room and unable to do anything, including my job, I'm just fine."

It wasn't hard to miss the sarcasm in her remark and Tom could tell she was far from happy. He got up and took a few steps to stand at the foot of her bed.

"I know you're bored as hell, and I know you would much rather be in the lab doing your job but you were shot Rachel. Its not something that you can just bounce back from, you of all people should know that! Tom didn't mean to raise his voice at her but she needed to hear it. Rachel stayed quiet with her eyes focused in on her hands.

"I have spoken with the doctors and they agreed that you could be discharged." Rachel glanced up at tom, probably because she heard the word 'discharge'.

"I am sure you don't want to return to the hotel, so I wondered if you would like to come stay with me. I've been set up in this big apartment for myself and the kids so there is plenty of room for you for as long as you need."

...

Rachel couldn't believe it. He was actually offering her a place to stay, his place to stay. She really had nowhere else to go so staying with Tom seemed to be her best bet. "Thank you, that would be great actually." She looked at Tom and he seemed pleased with her answer.

"When will I be able to leave?"

"You'll be discharged tomorrow morning, ill be here to come and get you and bring you back to the apartment."

She nodded and smiled, happy to hear that she wouldn't be in the hospital much longer. "Would I be able to get some of my clothes? I cant exactly leave in a bloodstained ball gown."

"Of course, ill be sure to have someone collect some clothes for you. Its too bad, that dress looked great on you."


	7. Chapter 7

I just wanted to say thank you for all the lovely reviews!

I`m not the best writer but I thought this would be a nice way to pass the time while waiting for Season 3...is it June yet?

I named the story after a song called "Lift me up" by Christina Aguilera. It is really beautiful so give it a listen if you like!

Hope you all enjoy! x

Tom stepped into Rachel's room with a wheelchair ready to wheel her out. She was seated on the bed dressed in sweatpants and a loose t-shirt ready to go.

The minute Rachel saw the wheelchair she protested, "Oh, no there is no way I'm being wheeled out of here, I'm perfectly capable to walk thank you." Tom chuckled at her stubbornness and was about to disagree with her when he suddenly came up with the idea to play along. "Ok doc, as you say so, no wheelchair." he pushed the wheelchair to the side of the room and gave her a smile, "Ready to go?" Rachel nodded confidently and slipped of the bed, she made her way towards him and stopped by his side, "Lets go."

As they walked down the hall Tom stayed by her side, slightly behind her. He knew she wouldn't make it out of the hospital on foot, not because he didn't believe in her but just because her body wasn't used to moving around yet. He noticed her pace slowing and her breath becoming increasingly labored. She folded her right arm into her body as if it were in a sling and stopped as they waited in front of the elevator. He was worried about her, she wouldn't admit it but she would have been far better going out in that wheelchair.

...

Dammit, of course he was right. Rachel could feel her body slowly fatigue making the journey through the winding halls to the elevator. Her legs weren't used to walking so much. She had hardly moved in the past week and to think she would be able to walk proudly out of this building was stupid on her part. She stood in front of the elevators and felt Toms presence a few steps behind her. She felt weak and uneasy on her feet, as if her legs were turning to jelly. She didn't need to think twice about her next move. Rachel took a couple steps backwards until her good shoulder rested on his chest. They both didn't say a word, they simply just stood there until the elevator doors opened. Tom reached towards the bag she was holding and strapped it across his shoulder. He then reached around her body and held her waist gently to guide her towards the elevator doors, her weight still resting against his side.

As soon as the doors closed Tom had a word with her. "You don't need to pretend with me Rachel. Its ok to be hurt and its ok to rest... Just let yourself rest."

Rachel closed her eyes and took a deep breath in and out. She didn't know how to rest, for the past year it had always been about getting things done and having to prove herself. When she arrived on the Nathan James she promised herself that she would never let her guard down, she was the person people depended on, who the world depended on. She had worked so hard for so long and its almost as if she had forgotten how to just breath. Tom was giving her permission to rest and as she lay against his side she felt protected and comforted by that. The elevator opened and they walked slowly at her pace towards the car waiting in front of the building. He assisted her into the back seat and then walked around to the other side to sit beside her. The car pulled out of the hospital towards wherever Toms place was. Rachel always got a little car sick seated in the back so she rested her head once again against his shoulder and let her mind and body relax. It was nice to have someone to lean on. There was nothing romantic or sexual about it, he was just being the support that she didn't know she needed until now.

...

He finally got through to her. This whole time he had told her to rest and give herself time to heal but she had challenged him every step of the way. Her head was rested against his shoulder with her eyes closed, he assumed she had drifted to sleep because of the steady rise and fall of her drive to his place was a short 10 minutes from the hospital so he wasn't sure if he wanted to wake her upon arrival. He decided against it, assuming that she needed all the rest she could get.

He had set up the spare room and stocked the fridge and pantry with food for the both of them. The President had also given him time off to care for Rachel but he would still be able to complete work on his computer and make calls when he needed to.

The driver pulled up to the entrance of his apartment complex and Tom looked down at Rachel to see her still in a deep sleep. He lifted Rachel's head to rest on the car seat and got out to move to her side. He opened her door, undid her seatbelt and supported her knees and back to lift her, making sure her head didn't hit the roof on the way out. She immediately nestled into the warmth of his body while he walked towards the entrance. Rachel was so light that it didn't take much time or effort to get her to his apartment.

His apartment was on the top floor and offered a great view of the city, his kids and father weren't expected for a couple of weeks as there was a lot of organizing and packing to do. It gave Rachel more time to heal and return to her usual self without the disruption of children, not that his children were disruptive, but it might be easier for Rachel to have a few weeks of peace. Sam and Ashley had not spent a great amount of time with Rachel but he knew they looked up to the woman who saved there lives.

Tom headed for her room to put her down to sleep. He didn't know what side of the bed she liked so he took a guess and moved to the right side to gently set her down on the mattress. He removed her sneakers and tucked her legs underneath the covers, he was familiar with this process as he had done it plenty of times with his own kids. He lifted the covers over her body and made sure to place a pillow against her shoulder for comfort. As Tom stared down at her he couldn't help but notice how childlike she looked, he moved a piece of hair away from her face and traced her cheek with his thumb. He hated seeing her in pain and all he wanted was for her to get better. The next couple of weeks were going to be hard on her and he was going to be by her side each step of the way.


	8. Chapter 8

It was becoming an every day occurrence for Rachel to wake with a throbbing pain in her shoulder. She was nestled underneath a pile of sheets and blankets which was certainly different from the hospital bed she had occupied the past week. She felt so comfortable and really didn't feel like moving no matter how her shoulder protested. She rested for another 10 minutes until the pain yearned for relief. Her bandages would need to be changed today, she could probably manage herself but she knew that Tom would want to help. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and made her way towards the door. The apartment was very modern and very spacious, she guessed this was the presidents way of thanking Tom for the work he had done and was still to do. She walked down a long hall towards where she thought the kitchen may be. She came out to a living space and saw that Tom had indeed been busy. There were eggs, bacon, muffins, fruits and fresh juice layed out on the table, the incredible smell assaulted her senses and her mouth automatically began to water. Tom was busy at the oven and hadn't heard her enter. She moved towards the table and pulled out a chair to sit, he glanced over at her and offered her a warm smile.

"Mornin! I hope you're hungry, I got a little carried away but I haven't been able to cook like this for ages." Rachel laughed at his excitement.

"I never pegged you for a cook." She examined the food in front of her and was impressed with his skill. She always seemed to make such a mess in the kitchen and things usually turned out burned or just wrong. Tom on the other hand looked like he knew exactly what he was doing.

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet." Tom walked over and slid some fried tomatoes onto the platter of breakfast food. She didn't realize how hungry she was until it was all displayed in front of her, she couldn't wait to dig in. He came to sit opposite her and motioned for her to get started.

"Thank you for doing this by the way."

"I'm happy to do it, I assumed you would be pretty hungry when you woke up, you slept for almost a day." Rachel didn't realize it was that long but it made sense since they were eating breakfast. She knew that sleep was her body's way of healing and she obviously needed it.

She took a little bit of everything and began digging in to the food. damm he really was a good cook, I mean she had nothing against bacons food on the Nathan James but this was absolute heaven. Rachel savored every bite as if she would never be eating again, she wondered if he made good pancakes? maybe she could request that for next time. As Rachel finished her plate she was completely stuffed. She leaned back in the chair and put her hands over her stomach, completely content with her appetite. They hadn't been talking during the meal, just eating in a comfortable silence, both enjoying each others presence. He finished and went to grab her dishes to do the washing up.

"Thank you, Tom, that was great."

"My mum always used to say that there is no better way to start the day than by eating a big breakfast, and by the look on your face I think she was right." Rachel smiled and wondered if they would ever share more about each others lives and there families, it would be nice to know how he grew up, what little Tom Chandler was like. Rachel guessed she could always ask his dad when he arrived with the kids in a few weeks. While lost in thought Rachel's shoulder brought her back to reality, it twinged in pain and she guessed she was due for some medication. She was about to ask Tom where it was when he carried a medicine cup full of pills and a glass of water over to her.

"Oh, thank you, its like you read my mind."

"You missed a couple of tablets while you were asleep so I bet you're really feeling it right now."

She took 1 pill at a time until the cup was empty and closed her eyes for a minute until she felt her body slowly absorb the pain relief. She walked to the kitchen counter and watched him place dishes in the dishwasher and wipe down the counters, it was so strange seeing him so comfortable and domesticated, he was a completely different man from when he was on the ship. She had seen him around his kids but only briefly, he really was an amazing father and she knew that Sam and Ashley would be ok. She knew what it was like to loose a parent, she lost her mother at a very young age too.

The circumstances in which her mother passed always brought back bad memories for her. She didn't need to die, she could have been saved and Rachel would have had a mom to grow up with. She didn't hate her father for his decision but it has always put a cloud over there relationship, she knew she could never truly forgive him. Now she didn't even know If he was alive at all. Tom brought her out of her thoughts when he gently touched her elbow.

"Hey, are you ok, would you like to sit down?" Tom looked concerned but Rachel guaranteed that she was ok. She took a deep breath and rid herself from the heavy thoughts.

"The nurses told me I should change your bandages. I can always call someone to do it for you if you don't want me to do it, I would understand." Rachel shook her head. "No its fine, I trust you." He nodded and gently squeezed her elbow.

Tom grabbed the bag of supplies from the counter and led her back to the bedroom, she sat on the edge of the bed and waited while he sorted through the bag.

"Ok, since you're the doctor you probably know much more about this stuff than I do, I got the bandages but the nurse told me I would need to apply this antiseptic gel to your wound before I reapply the bandage." Rachel noticed that Tom seemed to be a little nervous about the whole situation, he waved the packet of bandages around while reading the label of instructions on the box, almost like he was afraid to mess it up.

"That is right, Just remove the old bandage, dab the wound with the gel and then re apply a clean bandage. You really cant mess it up so calm down." Tom looked at Rachel and smiled, he stopped fumbling with the packet and placed them down on the bed beside her.

"You're right, sorry. I don't usually do this kind of stuff, I just don't want to hurt you." Rachel found it endearing that this strong and stoic man was getting anxious over something like this, she guessed it was another sign that he really did care. Tom moved to stand closer to her and shifted her loose t-shirt off her shoulder to gain better access. He started peeling off the bandage making sure not to rip it off to quickly and cause her pain, she hadn't seen the wound in a couple of days so she wasn't sure what it would look like now, there was most likely to be more bruising. She would also have a lovely scar when it was fully healed. Doc Rios was the one to stich up the wound and he couldn't have done a better job, no matter how clean and perfect the sutures were, there would always be that reminder on her right shoulder. Tom removed the remainder of the bandage and went to grab the gel antiseptic.

"How is it feeling, can you move the joint at all? Rachel tried rolling her shoulder but a sharp pain stopped her movement, she flinched and felt sick to the stomach, almost as if the pain had awakened all of her nerves at one time. She would be commencing physical therapy in a few weeks to build up the strength she had lost. She just hoped she would be able to achieve full mobility without pain. She couldn't think of anything worse then a pain that never goes away, almost as if its a constant reminder of being shot. Tom put on some rubber gloves and applied the gel to his fingers, he hesitated for a moment before leaning in and gently rubbing it over the wound to make sure no infection arises. The gel felt cool and soothing to her skin and gave her instant relief from the lingering pain. Usually shoulder wounds weren't that bad but because the bullet hit some bone it was obvious that healing would take longer. Rachel had never been a very patient person so this was going to be a real test for her. Tom had finished applying the heavenly gel to the front and back wounds so he got out clean bandages and began applying them. He really was doing a great job, his hands were huge and strong but gentle at the same time. He used the lightest touch almost as if she were the most valuable thing in the world, like he was afraid she would break. He finished taping the bandage to her skin and placed her t shirt back on her shoulder.

"Now I need to look at your side and apply this cream stuff, the nurse told me it would keep the bruising and inflammation down." Tom was reading the box, deep in thought, probably making sure he would be using it correctly, she removed her t-shirt to make it easier for him. She didn't mind sitting in just a bra in front of him, he made her feel safe and when he glanced up from reading instructions It didn't seem to faze him. He took hold of the cliiping holding the bandages together around her ribcage and started unravelling them slowly. She felt the compression and support leaving her ribs and when the bandages were completely removed she took a deep breath, which actually turned out to be quite painful. Rachel grimaced and looked down at her right side, she was shocked to see just how much the bruising had progressed, her whole right side was practically black and blue with tinges of green and yellow. She didn't dare keep staring because it only upset her. Tom must be thinking how horrible she looked, it really wasn't the most attractive thing to stare at. He applied the cream to the area that had the deepest bruising and Rachel hissed when his hand rubbed over a sensitive spot. He withdrew his hand, "Oh, Im sorry, did I press to hard?"

Rachel nodded and closed her eyes trying to block out her feelings of self pity. Tom resumed his task but this time with a much lighter touch, Rachel enjoyed the feeling of his fingers slowly gliding over her ribs as he distributed the cream evenly. He made sure to cover the whole area before he picked up the roll of bandage to re-wrap her ribs. He leaned in closely as he reached around her to begin the process. It felt like such an intimate act, she couldn't help but notice how close his face was to hers and how gentle yet powerful his arms felt wrapping around her body, repeating the motion as the bandage was secured. He clipped it in place so it wouldn't budge and grabbed her t-shirt from beside her. He took her good arm and slipped it through the arm hole and repeated the motion carefully making sure not to hurt the other arm. The t-shirt then slipped over her head and covered her body.

"Thank you for doing all of this. Hopefully Ill be able to help out a little more soon."

"No problem, If I remember clearly you patched me up on a few occasions. I'm just returning the favor." he smiled at her while packing the medication and bandages away. "Now, I cant make you stay in this bed but the doc thinks its best for you to take it easy for another week."

Rachel sighed and was about to object when she realized that she should probably take the doctors advice. "I think I`ll stay here and rest up. probably for the best."

Tom was surprised by her answer, obviously expecting her to make an objection to resting.

"Good! By the way they delivered the rest of your things yesterday so ill bring them in here for you. There's also a TV in here and I'm pretty sure there are some movies in the lounge, Ill get them for you." Tom rushed out of the room before she could say thank you, he was being so thoughtful and caring. He reminded her of how her mother would be when she was sick as a young girl. She always got so worried and would make her special homemade chicken soup, without fail it always made her feel better. She could hear tom bustling around down the hall until he came back with her bags over his shoulder and a stack of dvds in his hands.

"Here we are", he placed the bags down by the bedside table and put the dvds at the foot of her bed, "You have quite a wide selection here, I would personally go for The Notebook but whatever you want to watch is good." Rachel couldn't help but giggle at his remark. Just picturing him curled up in a ball, crying and watching that movie would be quite a sight to see.

"As tempting as that sounds I think ill just stick to whatever's on TV."

"As you wish." Tom handed Rachel the remote so she could navigate through the channels. There may not even be anything on TV...She forgot that most stations were probably wiped out and had no one to run them. She switched on the TV and to her surprise found a marathon of The Goldyn Girls on a local St Louis channel.

"I'm gonna get you some water and ill get you something for lunch in a little bit. I have to make a couple of business calls but just yell if you need anything."

"Thank you, Tom." Rachel smiled gratefully at him as he left to go do some work. She settled into the bed, nestling into the plush pillows behind her. She was at ease not only physically but mentally, all thanks to Tom.


End file.
